Air Canada Responds to Transport Canada’s Closure of Canadian Airspace to the Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft

August 19, 2019

If you are travelling within the next 72 hours, call:

1-833-354-5963

If you booked through a Travel Agency, please call them for immediate assistance

In compliance with Transport Canada's safety notice closing Canadian airspace to Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operations, Air Canada has grounded its 24 737 MAX aircraft until further notice.

Air Canada has updated its schedule to further optimize its fleet and re-accommodate customers. Given the uncertainty about the timing of regulatory approvals for the return to service of the Boeing 737 MAX, we are removing the Boeing 737 MAX from our schedule to January 8, 2020 and will continue to update plans as required. A summary of schedule changes is posted below in the following question and answer: "What is Air Canada doing to reschedule customers?", with schedule changes to January 2020 to be updated shortly.

Air Canada's cancellation and rebooking policies are in place with full fee waiver for affected customers.

We are working to rebook impacted customers as soon as possible.

Given the magnitude of our 737 MAX operations which on average carry nine to twelve thousand customers per day, customers can expect delays in rebooking and in reaching Air Canada Call Centres.

If you are travelling within the next 72 hours, please call the number at the top of this page.

If you booked through a Travel Agent, you may contact them directly for assistance.

We appreciate our customers' patience as we work to get everyone on their way.

If you'd like to make other plans

If you currently have a reservation for a flight between now and January 08, 2020 that was scheduled to be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, we've implemented a policy that makes it possible for you to make voluntary changes to your itinerary within three (3) weeks of your original travel dates.

If you are impacted by this policy, you may contact Air Canada Reservations (1-888-247-2262). If you are travelling in the next 72 hours, please call Air Canada Reservations number at the top of this notice.

Some questions you may have are below with our answers, but if you can't find what you need, contact us at 1-888-247-2262, or reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter.

Questions and Answers

About our Efforts to Assist Our Customers

What is Air Canada doing to reschedule customers?

We have adjusted our schedule until January, by optimizing the deployment of the rest of our fleet and accommodating customers on other airlines. A summary of our schedule changes are as follows:

Route

Route Changes

Edmonton (YEG) to Las Vegas (LAS)

Temporary route suspension from June 16 to September 30

Halifax (YHZ) to London-Heathrow (LHR)

Temporary route suspension until January 8

St. John's (YYT) to London-Heathrow (LHR)

Temporary route suspension until January 8

Toronto (YYZ) to Vancouver (YVR)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Toronto (YYZ) to Calgary (YYC)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Toronto (YYZ) to Edmonton (YEG)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Toronto (YYZ) to Charlottetown (YYG)

Select flights now operated all-Economy Air Canada Rouge A321

Toronto (YYZ) to Nanaimo (YCD)

Seasonal route end date now September 30 instead of October 7

Toronto (YYZ) to Nassau, Bahamas (NAS)

Select flights now operated with all-Economy Air Canada Rouge A321

Toronto (YYZ) to Portland, OR (PDX)

Seasonal route end date now September 3 instead of October 25

Toronto (YYZ) to Regina (YQR)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Toronto (YYZ) to Reykjavik, Iceland (KEF)

Flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge A319

Toronto (YYZ) to St. Maarten (SXM)

From two weekly to one weekly starting mid-December

Toronto (YYZ) to Saskatoon (YXE)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Toronto (YYZ) to Shannon (SNN)

Seasonal route suspended for summer 2019

Toronto (YYZ) to Quebec City (YQB)

Select flights now operated with all-Economy Air Canada Rouge A321

Toronto (YYZ) to St. John's (YYT)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Montreal (YUL) to Barcelona (BCN)

Flights now operated by Qatar Airways A330-200 from June 15 to September 30

Montreal (YUL) to Bordeaux (BOD)

Flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER aircraft

Montreal (YUL) to Cancun (CUN)

Select flights now operated all-Economy Air Canada Rouge A321

Montreal (YUL) to Calgary (YYC)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Montreal (YUL) to Reykjavik, Iceland (KEF)

Flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge A319 aircraft

Montreal (YUL) to Edmonton (YEG)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Montreal (YUL) to Fort-de-France, Martinique (FDF)

Flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge Airbus A319

Montreal (YUL) to Miami (MIA)

Temporary route suspension from September 3 to 30

Montreal (YUL) to Paris (CDG)

One of two daily flights now operated by Qatar Airways A330-200 from June 15 to September 13

Montreal (YUL) to Port au Prince, Haiti (PAP)

Service resuming in April 2020

Montreal (YUL) to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (PTP)

Flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge Airbus A319

Montreal (YUL) to Punta Cana (PUJ)

Select flights now operated all-Economy Air Canada Rouge A321

Montreal (YUL) to Vancouver (YVR)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Ottawa (YOW) to Regina (YQR) and Saskatoon (YXE)

Seasonal route end date now September 30 instead of October 15

Vancouver (YVR) to Anchorage (ANC)

Seasonal route end date now September 17 instead of September 30

Vancouver (YVR) to Honolulu (HNL)

Reduced from daily to four weekly and operated by Omni Air International Boeing 767-200ER from June 2 to October 26; from October 27 to operate daily with Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER until December 14

Vancouver (YVR) to Ixtapa, Mexico (ZIH)

Reduced from four weekly to two weekly starting December 14

Vancouver (YVR) to Kahului, Hawaii (OGG)

Reduced from daily to three weekly and operated by Omni Air International Boeing 767-200ER from June 4 to October 26; from October 27 operated daily with Air Canada Boeing 767-300ER

Vancouver (YVR) to Kona, Hawaii (KOA)

Reduced from five to two weekly now with Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER

Vancouver (YVR) to Las Vegas (LAS)

Second daily flight suspended from June 16 to September 2

Vancouver (YVR) to Lihue, Hawaii (LIH)

Seasonal route suspended for Winter 2019/2020

Vancouver (YVR) to Cancun, Mexico (CUN)

Reduced from daily to three weekly now with Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER

Vancouver (YVR) to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (PVR)

Reduced from six weekly to four weekly starting mid-January

Calgary (YYC) to Cancun, Mexico (CUN)

Reduced from daily to three weekly starting mid-December

Calgary (YYC) to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (PVR)

Reduced from four weekly to two weekly starting mid-December

Calgary (YYC) to London, ON (YXU)

Seasonal route suspended for summer 2019

Calgary (YYC) to Kahului, Hawaii (OGG)

Seasonal route start delayed from October 27 to December 16; flights now operated with Boeing 767-300ER

Calgary (YYC) to Phoenix (PHX)

Temporary route suspension June 1 to September 30

What should I do right now?

As changes are finalized in our flight schedule, customers whose flight times or flight numbers have changed can expect to receive an email detailing their updated itinerary. This information is also available in My Bookings on the Air Canada App.

I’ve been moved from an Air Canada to an Air Canada Rouge flight. What do I need to know?

As we continue to adjust our schedule to accommodate our customers, certain flights on will now be operated by Air Canada Rouge aircraft.

If you have been moved from an Air Canada to Air Canada Rouge flight, here’s what you need to know.

About your Ticket

You have the option to rebook on another flight. All change fees and charges will be waived provided:

the origin, destination and cabin you originally selected remain the same and

you rebook your flight within 90 days of your original departure date.

On Board

As the Rouge cabin is not equipped with individual in-flight entertainment screens, Economy Class customers will be offered a promotion code* for 15% off a future booking (issued within 30 days of travel).

Customers seated in Premium Rouge will be provided with complimentary Rouge Player iPads to enjoy during the flight.

I’ve been rebooked on an Omni Air International flight. What do I need to know?

If you’ve received an email from us advising you that you’ve been rebooked on an Omni Air International flight, we’ve prepared detailed information with everything you need to know.

I was scheduled to fly on a Boeing 737 MAX. Does that mean my flight is cancelled?

In many cases, we have substituted other aircraft, and your flight will operate as scheduled with another aircraft. As changes are finalized in our flight schedule, customers whose flight times or flight numbers have changed can expect to receive an email detailing their updated itinerary. This information is also available in My Bookings on the Air Canada App.

How will I know if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, we will contact you via the email address or phone number you provided when you booked your flight. Please make sure the correct contact information is on your booking. If you need to add your contact information to your booking, call us at 1-888-247-2262.

If you are travelling within the next 72 hours, call us at: 1-833-354-5963

And you can always reach out to our social media teams on Facebook or Twitter, or call your travel agent.

Will Air Canada cover my out-of-pocket expenses such as additional accommodation costs that I may incur as a result of these disruptions?

About Air Canada's 737 MAX Fleet

How long will the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft be grounded?

As the return to service date of the 737 MAX is unknown, to provide customers certainty for booking and travel, and for our internal planning purposes, Air Canada has removed 737 MAX aircraft from its schedule until January 8, 2020.

Our plans are flexible to reinstate the 737 MAX into our schedule sooner. This will depend on when government safety notices are lifted and international regulatory jurisdictions accept operations. As always, all decisions will be based on safety.

How many Boeing 737 MAX aircraft does Air Canada have?

Air Canada has a fleet of 24 Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft, which have been in operation since 2017. We have a total fleet of 400 aircraft (including 24 737 MAX), comprising Air Canada mainline, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express aircraft.

Where do the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft fly to?

Our 737 MAX aircraft were scheduled on flights across North America, to Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii, as well as from Atlantic Canada to London Heathrow.

How many Boeing 737 MAX flights are there each day, and how many passengers are affected?

We operated approximately 75 Boeing 737 MAX flights daily out of a total schedule of approximately 1,600 daily flights system-wide, representing less than six percent of our total flying. Our Boeing 737 MAX aircraft transported 9,000 to 12,000 customers each day.

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